Sometimes you don’t think about the worst things that can happen, You simply live out life, along with your friends, Family, the ones you love, and always hope for the best... The best for everyone...


Adjusting his ragged seal blinder, he seemed happy despite the fact we were facing such grim odds, Ever since St.Morroc Awakened and began climbing the Thanatos Tower to face the no longer there Legendary hero whom defeated him once 1000 years ago, Saii has just been restless and decided to volunteer the guild into an excursion, To try and stop Morroc. I of course, declined... but regardless... I couldn’t let them face him alone.

"Hey Zraxus!, thank you for coming. I’m glad you are here to help me keep mister reckles in check." Said Aneko in a mocking tone. I simply nodded as he walked past me, along with Hannie, and the marble Rosht brothers(Silk and slate), My old war hero Trowa, whom although he lost an arm to the bapho, he is still more than capable of holding his own against anything, and also that weirdo... What was his name..?

"Hey asshole, are you just gonna sit there while I guard your ninny bitch ass all day?" Said a manly yet foreign voice with a mocking tone from behind me. In anger I swing my axe in his direction.

"Jericho why do you have to SUCH A FUCKING JACKASS!?" I yelled angrily, as I felt he had provoked me into rage.

"Man you don’t have to be so mad, I was joking!" He ended with his stupid silly grin, Just like Saii's, It’s no wonder those two retards get along so well. Lord Jericho had been a friend of Saii's since childhood and left payon to join the royal guards , failing and in an attempt to join the prontera knights somehow managed to destroy their old building, and then had no choice but to join the crusaders division... The suicide warriors.. The guys they throw at anything that is dangerous first.
After many years in service, he gained many ranks and became a lord, and soon retired, Saii and Jer got reunited in a previous fight and then he simply joined the guild, “Just because”, His own words I tell you.

The tower was steep from the outside, tall and fortified with many floors, Much like a fortress. The climb seemed endless as we also faced many obstacles and monstrosities. Along the way I got injured on my leg, Aneko tried to heal it, but to no avail.
"It’s cursed; it would take a ritual to remove the injury. The best I can do is... seal it, you might be scarred for life Zraxus..." She said concerned
 "Do it... You guys need me now, more than ever, I wish to see this to the end." I said to her determined, I have never been so determined in my life to see that damned demon dead, It took too many lives, also Zeena...

Clenching my teeth, the bright light on my leg was agonizing at first, but then it numbed down and felt a bit tight. It was a shame I ran out of medical supplies, could have concocted a better alternative to this. 
"Just bear with it, I have one too." She said as she exposed the large scar she had on her back, remnants of the fights against baphomet. Upon inspecting Aneko’s scar, it hit me...

Concerned, I turned towards Saii whom was scarfing down a sandwich I had previously prepared for him as part of the rations.
"wait, so these injuries when they heal, they scar over and affect the muscles and hinders movement somehow correct?" He seemed somewhat annoyed at the question and simply lifted his shirt rtevealing over 20 scars all over his muscles, biceps, back, chest, abdomen...  As he stood, I also noticed the heavy large scars over his legs and his back of the neck. Dumbfounded i jawdropped, and Aneko leaned towards me and whispered. "He took the brunt of it all for us.., his body is beginning to fail. All thats keeping him running is, the kids and  the guild..Not to mention Silk and Slate are in the same boat."
Angered, I stood up and Slammed my fist furiously onto my mobile laboratory cart.
" I will find a way to heal you, ...all of you! Alchemy can make miracles and -"
Before I could finish, Saii kicked down a wall in fury.A steel plated 1 foot thick brick compost wall...
"Save your words of pitty for the dead Zraxus, we all have our sins and burdens to carry..and besides after all this bullshit im going to ret-" 
Silk jumps up and interrupting Saii, burps really loudly, and then leans to the side letting a loud long foul fart escape his bowels,as the sound echoes across the empty halls I couldn’t help to feel a bit sick to my stomach. Poort Hannie and Jericho had passed out, hence they took the brunt of it.
"Oh shit, uhm... uh... Excuse me and stuff dud-" Slate pulls his brothr down and bends down with him in an apologethic fashion."Please excuse my brother and his ill manners..."

Saii amused, at the fact silk knew what he was going to say, smiles and begins walking away from the camp. 
"Il be back in a bit, I need to check something."
That night I couldn’t sleep very much... The anxiety of my probable death was less troublesome then the sudden unexpected pain in my leg. Concern and curiosity got the better of me, and I performed a few experiments on the scar, and came to an understanding that this ghostly like pain is simply the body fighting off the invasive magic, thus the mana in your body reacts in a way to countermeasure this and thus creating the pain. With my mind at ease, I rummaged among my remaining supplies.." Gah.. I really need to organize my stuff." I muttered to myself... “maybe I still have a few-“

"So what are you doing this late at night Zrax?" Said saii from behind me, startling me and sending my heart rate skyrocketing. 
"HOLY SHIT MAN DONT DO THAT!!" I said, quite shocked he had managed to sneak up on me so easily. He simply scratched his head somewhat confused, and smiled, hanging his arm over my shoulder.
"So hey man, did you finish that nukchelarthingmagiggy bomb thing you said?" he asked while his breath reached my face, he smelled of food. I stood up while moving his hand away from my shoulder.
" Ye-yeah I did, My Mobile lab now has a self destruction device in case things go badly" I said almost hesitantly, for some reason even along all these years I still had a slight mistrust of him, well... anyone for that matter... old habits die hard.
"Ah well thats good, we might need it." He replied in a calm tone, I guess I satisfied his curiosity.

"well, get some rest. we are just a few floors from the top, it’s the real deal tomorow" He nonchalantly walked back to his bedroll where Aneko was fast asleep, cudding with her almost like an animal trying to give its warmth to its owner he fall asleep as i couldnt help but look. I felt somewhat calm as i saw this. For some reason I always looked up to him. Opening an orphanage and taking in all those kids was a noble thing for Saiichi to do with his money. . . I would make sure he and Aneko would survive to live out their dreams.

I admit, despite the pain, I slept like a log, and woke up a bit late.

The climb was tough, the scar from my leg hindered my walking, and the group had to slow down a bit so I could keep up. Then finally... we reached the top. and there it was, Satan Morroc, ready to challenge anyone.

"So here’s the game plan, we kick his ass, we collect the money and save the world again!" He said in his ever overconfident tone, I always hated this side of him, somewhat annoying, couldn’t he take this more seriously?

As the fight unfolded, Satan Morroc certainly proved to be a very powerful adversary, I received another injury to my scarred leg and an impact to my head left my right ear deafened.

Jericho and Hannie were severely injured also, Hannie had his left side blown off, exposing a rib and jer had lost and eye and had his left arm broken.

"So... this is it? ah... what am i gonna tell to Mina, when i meet her in valhalla..?" Said Han in a depressed tone. His blood soaked wizard robe was dripping and torn, moving in the strong gusts of wind coming from the enraged Morroc's wings flapping as Saii continued to pummel the demon mercilesly with light arrows while deftly moving and jumping around it.

"Man... I think im dying already." He said as he was gripping his abdomen, I noticed the blood dripping quite fast from his armor...  at the rate he was bleeding, he would pass out from blood loss in minutes.

"Hey jer, are you alright?" I asked him as he stood up and slowly began to move towards the demonic entity.
" One last move for me Hans, make it count!!" He said with a roar, as he charged the demon.
Aneko was treating Silk whom recieved an injury to his back, while Slate deftly kept pushing away the hoardes of minnions that were coming from downstairs. 

"ZRAX!! DO IT NOW!!!" Roared Saii as he lept back and forth avoiding the demons claws.
I Hurriedly opened my carts control panel and entered the self destruct code, I didn’t even give it a second thought... Years of research were going to vanish in a massive flash of glory and destruction.

"YOU RABBLE CANNOT DEFEAT ME!! BRING ME THANATO-" Morroc was suddenly interrupted by a flash of blinding light, hannie had casted his gravity hold onto it, as Jericho slammed his sword into the beasts hind leg, Somewhat immobilizing it.
 Saii suddenly leaps away skillfully avoiding the tail and removes his blinder, revealing his cursed eye, while grunting in pain, his body began to glow with a demonic aura and you could literally feel the energy pressure pulsing from him. 

I finished inputting the code and count down, "We have about... a Minute to bai-" out of nowhere Slate grabs me by the waist, and effortlessly lifts me up and throws me on his sholder, and begins to walk towards the far left corner of the tower roof. I looked to my right, noticing Silk was also on his shoulder.

Looking behind I see Saii and Aneko continuing to fight. 
"Angelic Layer, Sigmun Croxis Leu Fatalle" She chanted this prayer as a white barrier of light covers them inside.

"HEY WAIT! SLATE! THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER! PUT ME DOWN!!!" I yelled out furiously and began to hit Slate with all my might on his back, noticing his armor was destroyed and he was also severely bleeding from an impale wound on his back. I hesitated, i couldn’t bear the thought that they were trying to keep me safe, I intended to die here from the start. I was tired of it all, watching everyone I knew die before me, time and time again, being a failed crusader, and now I was about to be a failed companion too.

"Hey Slate... we are even now right? " Saii said as he was facing the demonic figure. His back seemed to be alot broader than usual.. broad enough to carry ther world on his shoulders... I could feel slate crying under his breath, he was sobbing softly.

"Zraxus... " He said while turning to me." take care of the kids for me will you?" Aneko turned also and waved with a fake smile, you could tell ... this was the end... "Also... Your food was the best man!" He said as a light enveloped us. "WAIT!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE HERE!!!!"

Suddenly in a flash we were at the outpost miles and miles away from the tower. Slate stumbles to his feet under our weight and as I got off his shoulder, he lays down Silk. His complexion was pale..
"ha.. you always looked better than me Silk, Il never forgive you for dying first.." Said slate as he collapsed next to his dead brother, I checked Slate for a pulse... but he was dead too... but their faces had such a peaceful expression. As I swallowed deeply, I activated the camera on my cart, and in the viewer on my arm I saw Saii and Aneko, Holding hands.. and a bright light enveloped them both as the camera went offline. I hurriedly climbed the outpost roof and scanned the horizon for the tower. I finally found it to see the tower top explode...

In awe and shock , as the tower silently collapsed, I felt my eyes water. I stood strong and stubbornly looked, as the tower collapsed slowly and the sonic boom followed. The crackle and explosion were deafeningly loud to the onlookers. But i didnt mind it... I didnt mind it at all...

"Look mom, Fireworks!!" Said a child whom was looking at the tower. 

The explosion was so powerful it disturbed the atmosphere and a severe downpour began to fall. The rain felt warm. The raindrops on my face, concealing my tears, were unmistakably serene and calming as I stared into the horizon; it felt like I was there for an eternity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~20 Years Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Doctor Zraxus!! How are you doing today?"
"Said a young girl, as she looked up at the oldman, his white labcoat and his serene expression were unmistakeable the look of a master alchemist.

"Ah there you are kiyoko, I need you to run some more tests on the new kid. His name is Basil if I recall."

"Yes sir, right away!"

Its been nearly 21 years since that day eh... I need to go see their graves today.

ENDING